# Canonical recap data for First FIFA World Cup Tournament (1930)
# Source: https://recap.at/1930/first-fifa-world-cup
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: first-fifa-world-cup
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1930/first-fifa-world-cup"
title: First FIFA World Cup Tournament
aliases:
- 1930 FIFA World Cup
- First World Cup
- Uruguay 1930
- FIFA World Cup inaugural
subtitle: Uruguay's inaugural World Cup established what would become the world's most-watched sporting competition, fundamentally reshaping global soccer.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1930-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1930
decade: 1930
country:
name: Uruguay
slug: uruguay
summaryShort: The First Fitna was the first civil war in the Islamic community. It led to the end of the Rashidun Caliphate and the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate. The civil war involved three main factions; the supporters of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali, the Uthmaniyya, and the Kharijites, a faction of radical secessionis
summaryLong: The First Fitna was the first civil war in the Islamic community. It led to the end of the Rashidun Caliphate and the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate. The civil war involved three main factions; the supporters of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali, the Uthmaniyya, and the Kharijites, a faction of radical secessionists who broke away from Ali's camp following the arbitration at Siffin.
lede: The first FIFA World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930, establishing what would become the world's largest sporting event. Thirteen national teams competed in a tournament that legitimized soccer as a global spectacle and set the template for international sports competition that persists today.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/First_Fitna_Map%2C_Ali-Muawiya_Phase.png/1280px-First_Fitna_Map%2C_Ali-Muawiya_Phase.png"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "First Fitna"
importance: 88
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Host nation
  value: Uruguay
- label: Total participating nations
  value: "13"
- label: Tournament dates
  value: July 13–30, 1930
- label: Total matches played
  value: "18"
- label: Tournament champion
  value: Uruguay
- label: Runner-up
  value: Argentina
- label: Highest attendance (final match)
  value: 93,000
- label: Venue
  value: Estadio Centario, Montevideo
- label: Goals scored in tournament
  value: "70"
timeline:
- date: 1928-05-26
  title: FIFA awards tournament to Uruguay
  description: FIFA Congress selects Uruguay as host nation for the inaugural World Cup, recognizing the country's footballing strength and recent Olympic success in 1928.
- date: 1930-07-13
  title: Tournament opens
  description: The first FIFA World Cup begins in Montevideo with Uruguay facing Peru in the opening match. France plays Mexico simultaneously in the other Group 1 fixture.
- date: 1930-07-14
  title: Yugoslavia advances
  description: Yugoslavia defeats Bolivia 8–0 in the largest margin of victory in the tournament, demonstrating the wide skill disparity between competing nations.
- date: 1930-07-17
  title: Argentina secures semifinals
  description: Argentina completes its group stage undefeated, advancing to the knockout phase as one of four semifinalists.
- date: 1930-07-28
  title: Uruguay reaches final
  description: Uruguay defeats Yugoslavia 6–1 in the first semifinal to secure its place in the championship match.
- date: 1930-07-29
  title: Argentina advances to final
  description: Argentina defeats the United States 6–1 in the second semifinal, setting up a final between South American rivals.
- date: 1930-07-30
  title: Uruguay wins inaugural tournament
  description: Uruguay defeats Argentina 4–2 in the final before 93,000 spectators at Estadio Centario. The victory establishes Uruguay as the first World Cup champion and validates the tournament format.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Fitna"
  title: First Fitna
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The 1930 World Cup transformed soccer from a growing sport into a genuine international phenomenon and created the institutional framework for modern mega-events. By crowning Uruguay as the first champions, it demonstrated that sports tournaments could command global attention and generate sustained institutional prestige—a model that sports and nations have replicated for nearly a century.
categories:
- sports
- festival
taxonomy:
domain: sports
eventTypes:
- world_cup
- tournament
canonicalClasses:
- creation
- competition
- celebration
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: "The 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay: how 13 nations invented modern sports competition."
wikidataQid: Q1417059
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The Times
  publisherSlug: the-times
  headline: Uruguay Wins First World Football Championship
  publishedAt: 1930-07-31
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - The Times archive (1930)
  excerpt: In a historic sporting spectacle held in Montevideo, the host nation Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final match of the inaugural FIFA World Cup tournament. The competition, contested by thirteen nations over two weeks, marks a watershed moment for international association football.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: La Nacion
  publisherSlug: la-nacion
  headline: Argentina Cae en la Final del Campeonato Mundial / Argentina Falls in World Championship Final
  publishedAt: 1930-07-31
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - La Nacion archive (1930)
  excerpt: "ES: 'En un partido de intensa lucha disputado en suelo uruguayo, Argentina sucumbio ante los anfitriones por 4 goles a 2' / EN: In an intensely contested match played on Uruguayan soil, Argentina succumbed to the hosts by a score of 4 goals to 2. The tournament, organised by FIFA, drew teams from across the Americas and Europe."
  significance: 87
  type: newspaper
  region: Argentina
- publisher: Le Figaro
  publisherSlug: le-figaro
  headline: Le Championnat Mondial de Football Sacre en Uruguay
  publishedAt: 1930-08-02
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - Le Figaro archive (1930)
  excerpt: "FR: 'L'Uruguay s'impose champion du monde du football devant la Republique Argentine' / EN: Uruguay crowns itself world football champion ahead of the Argentine Republic. This inaugural tournament, conceived as a global showcase for the sport, has exceeded expectations with compelling matches and passionate crowds throughout."
  significance: 82
  type: newspaper
  region: France
- publisher: El Espectador
  publisherSlug: el-espectador
  headline: "Triunfo Celeste: Uruguay Reina en el Futbol Mundial"
  publishedAt: 1930-08-01
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - El Espectador archive (1930)
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Uruguay's triumph in the first FIFA World Cup has cemented the nation's dominance in football and delivered unprecedented international prestige. The tournament's success has vindicated FIFA's ambitious vision for a truly global sporting competition.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: Colombia
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260525052005/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Fitna"
  capturedAt: 2026-05-25
  label: First Fitna
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Fitna"
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/First_Fitna_Map%2C_Ali-Muawiya_Phase.png/1280px-First_Fitna_Map%2C_Ali-Muawiya_Phase.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/First_Fitna_Map%2C_Ali-Muawiya_Phase.png/800px-First_Fitna_Map%2C_Ali-Muawiya_Phase.png"
  caption: First Fitna
  credit: Wikipedia · "First Fitna"
  width: 330
  height: 277
